British husband of woman murdered in Jamaica devastated by her death

Ken Brown said the body of his spouse, Karen Cleary-Brown, was discovered buried in the garden of her property on the Caribbean island.

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Karen Cleary-Brown death

The devastated husband of a beautician stabbed to death in the kitchen of her dream Jamaican home has spoken of how they were planning a wonderful life together.

Ken Brown said the body of his spouse, Karen Cleary-Brown, was discovered buried in the garden of her property in the Boscobel area of St Mary on the Caribbean island.

The 44-year-old had been missing since November 25 and was found by police on Monday after the killer confessed to her murder and led detectives to her grave, Mr Brown said.

Speaking to the Press Association, he said they lived in Islington, north London, have been married since 2004, and that dealing with the news of her murder has not been easy.

“I am just devastated. She was building a dream home, we had planned this wonderful life together,” the 65-year-old said.

“She was coming back in January and then we were going to go for a big holiday around Thailand – the future was rosy.”

Karen Cleary-Brown, who was found dead in Jamaica (Ken Brown)

Mr Brown, who is currently in Jamaica, said the man who has confessed to her murder had been working on the property, and that he stabbed her to death in the kitchen.

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He described how after being arrested by the police he eventually led officers to where he had buried her body.

“The forensic dig took at least a complete day,” Mr Brown said. “He had buried her deep, put tarpaulin over it and then put concrete over it, then covered it up.

“The police said even if they had brought dogs they would never have found her if he hadn’t confessed.”

Mr Brown said his wife had offered the man work and somewhere to stay, adding: “She was being Karen and being helpful, and look what happened.”

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Praising the efforts of the Jamaican police, he said they have kept him informed throughout the process, revealing that some of the officers “have been touched” by what has happened.

“Some of them have been working non-stop, 24-hour shifts, they are keen to see justice,” he added.

Mr Brown said his wife, who had lived in Britain for more than 20 years and had indefinite leave to remain, was determined to build her home, which she had been working on for more than seven years, and would often head to her native Jamaica for periods of time to do so.

Describing her as someone who liked to laugh, he added: “She was an excellent cook, she loved cooking meals.

“She just loved life, she was fun and engaging, she was a strong character.”

Responding to reports that a man called Andy Kane was her partner, Mr Brown said this is “not correct” and that they were in fact just friends.

The death of Mrs Cleary-Brown comes six months after British couple Charlie and Gayle Anderson, from Manchester, were murdered at their Jamaican home.